Save Article

Fussier 'Diva Artists' Make
More Demands on Buyers

Recently, Stuart Quan fell for a photo by artist Catherine Chalmers. He pictured the work, a vividly colored blowup of a frog about to eat a praying mantis, hanging alone on the wall of his home.

The artist, however, had a different plan in mind. She told Mr. Quan he had to buy a whole series of photos, 10 in all, for about $1,000 a pop, arguing the work only made sense as part of a cohesive group. A dismayed Mr. Quan says he just didn't have enough space for them in his one-bedroom New York apartment. "That was a deal-stopper,"...